Latch



MM 9 M Dec. 5, 1933. E, w NQRTH ET AL 1,937,778

LATCH Filed March 30, 1933 Patented Dec. 5, 1933 PATENT OFFICE 1,937,778 LATCH Edwin W. North and George D. Lindstrom,

Rockford, Ill., assignors to National Lock Co.,

Rockford, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application March 30, 1933. Serial No. 663,460

8 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator latches and its purpose is to provide a latch adapted to right or left hand installations and embodying a minimum number of parts so constructed as to be economically manufactured and assembled, which requires minimum eifort to operate and yet insures positive forcing of the door into closed position, which will withstand hard use and abuse, and which makes it possible to use a low, relatively small strike as distinguished from the usual large unsightly strikes.

A better understanding of my invention, its novel features and resultant advantages will be apparent from the following description given in connection with the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a latch and strike constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the latch,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal transverse section taken approximately on line 33 of Fig. 1 and illustrates the interior construction of the latch and strike and its application to a refrigerator door, the latter being in closed position,

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the latch in open position,

Fig. 5 'is a partial section taken approximately on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 illustrating the mounting of the handle and bolt, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the latch bolt.

Referring more particularly to the embodiment of this invention illustrated in the drawing, the latch comprises a casing or housing 1 having a central substantially rectangular cavity or recess 2 within which the moving parts are disclosed. The recess is open at its forward end and is closed at its rear end by an end wall 3. In the illustrated embodiment the casing is formed with a front flange curved to fit the forward edge of a door, a pair of side wings 4, and an end wing 6. The marginal edge of the casing is flanged as at 7 to give the appearance of thickness to the casing. The wings are apertured to provide screw holes, the holes being punched inwardly as at 8. Ferrules 9 of a thickness equal to the depth of flange '7 are placed over the punched screw holes and secured in place by tangs ll struck out from the punched metal of the hole. The ferrules prevent crushing of the flanges around the screw holes when the latch is attached to a door.

The operating mechanism comprises a handle 12 overlying the recess and having its forward end projecting into the forward open end of the recess. The handle is secured to the casing by pivot pin 13 spanning the recess and passing through the forward ends of the side walls of the recess and through the handle in a vertical direction parallel to the plane of the casing flanges and the door to which the latch is applied. The forward end of the side walls are punched or extruded inwardly into the interior of the casing to permit passage of the pin and to provide bearings 14 (Fig. 5) for supporting the pin and also for supporting a pair of coil springs 16. The springs each have one end .engaging the interior wall of the recess and the other end engaging one of a pair of projecting wings 1'7 01 the handle to resiliently urge the handle in closed position against the outer wall of the recess and against a stop 18 (Fig. 3).

The latching bolt 19 is also pivoted upon pin 13 and lies between the wings 1'7 of the handle. The bolt is therefore movable in a plane parallel to that of the handle and in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the latch base or flanges. Latching bolt 19 has a lateral projection 21 adjacent the pivot adapted to be engaged by the forward end edge 22 of the handle to rock the bolt about its pivot from closed to open position against the action of a coil spring 23. The spring 0 is placed under compression between the rear end of the bolt at a point 24 substantially removed from the pivot and the rear wall 3 of the recess. The rocking bolt has a snap action due to the relative position of the pin and spring which is such that in closed position the spring tends to rotate the bolt in clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, whereas in open position the direction of force of the spring is slightly toward the other side of the pivot, as shown in Fig. 4, and tends to rotate the bolt in counterclockwise direction until stopped by engagement of lug 26 with the top wall of the recess.

The bolt is further provided with a projecting abutment 2'7 spaced from projection 21 sufiiciently to permit entry of the strike 28 therebetween and which is adapted to engage strike 28 and force the door into closing position upon rocking movement of the bolt under action of spring 23, as can be seen from Fig. 3. The action of the spring being applied to a point considerably removed from the pivot, and the abutment 27 being relatively nearer the pivot, provides a strong closing or holding action on the door.

In closing the door, projection 21 will engage the outer end surface of strike 28 and throw the bolt past center against the action of spring 23 to cause the spring to rock the bolt in a clockwise direction about its pin and tightly force the 110 door into closed position by engagement of abutment 27 with the underside of the strike.

The abutting projection 2'7 of the strike is provided with a bevel or cam end surface 29 which will engage the strike upon closing the door if the bolt has been inadvertently moved to closed position and force the bolt into open position against the action of spring 23 and without moving the handle as the door is closed, the bolt being rocked into closing position after the abutment surface has cleared the strike by contact of projection 21 with the end of strike 28.

It follows from the foregoing description that the refrigerator latch disclosed and described permits the use of a very small and low strike, thus avoiding the unsightly appearance of rela tively large strikes as used heretofore. The bolt and handle construction, both being pivoted about the same pin, and the bolt being within the handle is well balanced by having the spring tension directly on the pivotal axis of both the handle and the bolt. The action of the rocking motion. of the bolt and handle is such that the movement of the door and engagement of the bolt with the strike moves the bolt in the direction of rotation about its pivot instead of in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pivotal movement of the bolt. In prior latches employing a bolt and handle, one of which, usually the bolt, is pivoted about a horizontal pivot pin, engagement of the strike with the bolt upon closing the door tends to move the bolt away from the door in a direction normal to its pivotal motion and normal to the line of movement caused by the spring. In other words, in accordance with this invention, the closing movement of the door moves the bolt about its pivot and not laterally of its pivot. This reduces wear and strain upon the latch pivot and reduces the effort necessary to close the door and spring the latch. The sliding movement of the bolt on the strike is very little and consequently the wear upon the strike is very little. The handle extending into the housing between the side walls of the recess is well supported against side thrust. The entire lock construction involves practically three parts only, is rigidly constructed and may well be formed from sheet metal.

Other novel features and inherent advantages of a latch constructed in accordance with this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to whom it will also be obvious that minor changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined .in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A latch comprising a casing formed with a recess open at one end, a pivot pin extending transversely across said recess, a handle pivoted upon said pin normally parallel to the surface on which the latch is mounted, a bolt pivoted upon said pin, said bolt being partially disposed within said handle and having a trip finger and a locking finger projecting from said recess, said handle having means thereon for engaging said trip finger beyond the recess and rocking the bolt to unlatched position only, a strike adapted to be engaged by said trip finger for rotating the bolt toward latched position, and means for restoring the handle to normal position without rotating the bolt when the latter is in unlatched position.

2. A latch comprising a casing formed with a recess open at one end, a pivot pin extending transversely across said recess adjacent the open end thereof, a bolt pivoted upon said pin and projecting from said recess, said bolt having an abutment projecting therefrom, a spring engaging said bolt and arranged to impart a snap action to said bolt about its pivot to either open or latched position, a handle pivoted upon said pin and having means thereon for engaging saidbolt and rocking the latter about said pin to unlatched position, a strike arranged to be engaged by said abutment of said bolt, said bolt also having a projection closely adjacent said abutment and positioned to engage said strike to cause rotation of said bolt to latching position,

said abutment having an outer end cam surface adapted to contact said strike to move the bolt into unlatched position, and means for restoring the handle to normal position parallel to the surface on which the latch is mounted while the bolt is in unlatched position and without rotating the latter.

3. A latch comprising a casing and a pivot pin carried thereby, a bolt pivoted upon said pin and having trip and latching fingers, a spring arranged to impart a snap action to said bolt about its pivot to either unlatched or latched position, a handle normally parallel to the surface on which the latch is mounted pivoted upon said pin to rotate in a plane perpendicular to said surface and having means thereon for engaging said bolt for rocking the latter only to open position, a strike adapted to be engaged by the trip finger to trip said bolt and by the other finger to latch the bolt within the strike, and means for yieldably restoring the handle to said normal position while the bolt remains in unlatched'position.

4. A latch comprising a casing and a pivot pin carried thereby, a bolt pivoted upon said pin and having trip and latching fingers, a spring arranged to impart a snap action to said bolt about its pivot to either unlatched or latched position, a handle normally parallel to the surface on which the latch is mounted pivoted upon said pin to rotate in a plane perpendicular to said surface and having means thereon for engaging said bolt on both sides laterally of the axis of said pin for rocking the latter only to open position, a strike adapted to be engaged by the trip finger to trip said bolt and by the other finger to latch the bolt within the strike, and means for yieldably restoring the handle to said normal position while the bolt remains in unlatched position.

5. A latch comprising a casing and a pivot pin carried thereby, a bolt pivoted upon said pin and having trip and latching fingers, a spring arranged to impart a snap action to said bolt about its pivot to either unlatched or latched position, a handle normally parallel to the surface on which the latch is mounted pivoted upon said pin to rotate in a plane perpendicular to said surface and having means thereon for engaging said bolt for rocking the latter only to open position, a strike adapted to be engaged by the trip finger to trip said bolt and by the other finger to latch the bolt within the strike, guard means for preventing the fingers of the operator from being pinched between the handle and the casing, and means for yieldably restoring the handle to said normal position while the bolt remains in unlatched position.

6. A latch comprising a casing, a pivot pin carried by the casing and a bolt pivoted on said pin for rotation in a plane perpendicular to the surface on which the casing is mounted, a snapaction spring mounted within the casing acting on the bolt to snap it to latched or unlatched position, a strike to be positioned adjacent said casing, a locking finger on said bolt constructed for cooperation with said strike to engage the latter at a point only slightly ofiset from a plane through said pin perpendicular to the surface on which the casing is mounted, means connected means for restoring the handle to its normal latched position when the bolt is unlatched and without rotating the latter.

'7. A latch comprising a base, a rotatable bolt and an independent operating handle therefor rotatable in the same plane with the bolt, a pivot pin for the bolt supported by the base a substantialodistance outwardly from the plane thereof, trip and latching fingers on the bolt, means for imparting spring snap action to the bolt toward. latched or, unlatched positions, a strike, the bolt and strike being constructed for relative positioning when in use so that the latching finger engages the strike in latched position substantially in the plane of said base, and means actuatable by the strike for returning the bolt to unlatched position should it approach the strike from the outside while in latched position.

8. A latch comprising a base and a bolt pivoted thereon for rotation ina plane perpendicular to the suri'ace on which the base is mounted, said bolt having trip and latching fingers, ,means for imparting snap action to said bolt about its pivot to either latched or unlatched position, a handle pivoted on said base whose plane of rotation is parallel to that of the bolt, means carried by the handle for rotating the bolt toward unlatched position only, a strike constructed for engagement by the trip finger for rotating the bolt toward latched position and by the latching finger for latching the bolt, and means for yieldably restoring the handle to normal latched position while the bolt remains in unlatched position.

EDWIN W. NORTH. GEORGE D. LINDSTROM. 

